Center Pole/ Trekking Pole

[Clarktar]

Curious if anyone has had any failures using the trekking pole as the center pole (a la moffat) for shelters that require a center pole (cimarron, SL5 etc.).

If you have not had any failures using the trekking poles, what brand and model are you using?

Thanks,

 

[freediver111]

Buy the carbon center pole you cheapskate!

 

[colonel00]

Anything will fail given the right (or more appropriately, wrong) conditions. I haven't had trekking poles fail but I did have my CF pole snap this last Alaska trip when we had a surprise dumping of snow. It was just too much weight and stress. Nothing more fun than having the Cimarron come crashing down at 3am. Luckily, I had my trekking poles as backup and I quickly found a branch (which was a miracle on the North Slope) that fit well.

[video=youtube;rxSI1-X5_lc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxSI1-X5_lc[/video]

I've had my BD poles flexing quite a bit at times too but never broke. I think the important thing is to understand the limits of any system and it's always good to have a backup option if possible.

 

[4ester]

I broke a BD Alpine Carbon Cork this spring in my Cimarron setting it up to seam seal. I don’t think the carbon trekking poles handle the side load like the aluminum’s. Black Diamond did send me a new section no questions asked.

Bought a dedicated aluminum pole after that.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Clarktar]

Buy the carbon center pole you cheapskate!

Nothing to do with cost.

 

[Clarktar]

I broke a BD Alpine Carbon Cork this spring in my Cimarron setting it up to seam seal. I don’t think the carbon trekking poles handle the side load like the aluminum’s. Black Diamond did send me a new section no questions asked.

Bought a dedicated aluminum pole after that.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yea, I had the same trekking pole (Alpine Carbon Cork) fail on a ridge top this a few days ago. Pretty good windstorm, and then snap. Just laid there in my bivy with the cimarron slapping me the rest of the night.

I had a set of older BD aluminum poles, but I left them at a campground in Oregon so I replace them with this new fancy pair. The older aluminum ones never broke, and they were atleast 8 years old and used in all kinds of ways including in the cimarron. Guess I will need to look into aluminum trekking poles.

Thanks,

 

[Clarktar]

Anything will fail given the right (or more appropriately, wrong) conditions. I haven't had trekking poles fail but I did have my CF pole snap this last Alaska trip when we had a surprise dumping of snow. It was just too much weight and stress. Nothing more fun than having the Cimarron come crashing down at 3am. Luckily, I had my trekking poles as backup and I quickly found a branch (which was a miracle on the North Slope) that fit well.

[video=youtube;rxSI1-X5_lc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxSI1-X5_lc[/video]

I've had my BD poles flexing quite a bit at times too but never broke. I think the important thing is to understand the limits of any system and it's always good to have a backup option if possible.

Agreed, except the hard part of your important concept is knowing the limits of the system. One thing to understand them, but very different to actually know....

 

[luke moffat]

Yeah if I am taking the Cimmaron along then I have myself and atleast one more person. If the wind really gets to honking I put two sets of trekking poles up there so they kinda share the windload. I haven't broke a set of single trekking poles (I use aluminum ones) but I figure two sets are better than one if I have the option to do so.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

This thread kicks up two thoughts for me. 1) I am going to get a larger Tipi but I'm leaning towards sticking with the aluminum over CF and not to save $100 2) The adjusters on my 20yr+ old trekking poles wore out and I need to replace them. Again I'm leaning towards sticking with aluminum even if a couple ounces heavier. I was using some low cost cascade mountain aluminum poles I got for the kids last weekend in stead, at one point hauling 94lb down an icy slope I fell (lets be honest I fell at least 4 times on the packout ) and landed on a pole putting a nice curve into the bottom section. I was able to bend it back to mostly straight to continue my trek down, if a CF that would have likely been splinters. For my replacement poles I want something a little better than the cascade mountain, they're fine but I worry about the longevity/durability of the adjusters and want something a little better for me to pound on.

 

[AK Troutbum]

A few years ago we broke two center poles on a trip, but both of them were our fault. The first was when I was cranking the shelter down tighter to the ground for an upcoming storm and I put too much tension on the carbon fiber pole and snapped it. The second was when my son was coming into the tent and lost his balance, grabbed the carbon fiber trekking poles that we were then using, and ended up snapping a section of it. The trekking poles we were using were BD's and I fashioned them together tip end to tip end with one of the tip sections removed (if that makes sense), it was the thinner, tip section that broke.

 

[C Bow]

The guy that was a partner in TI Goat now makes a carbon fiber center pole that will collapse into itself before it breaks and is a Great Center Pole

 

[Ten Bears]

Does anyone have experience with the Ruta Locura carbon tent poles ?

 

[justinspicher]

My center pole just broke under a snow load last week inside my SL5. It was an aluminum pole. Had to go buy an MSR pole to replace it.

 

[dotman]

My center pole just broke under a snow load last week inside my SL5. It was an aluminum pole. Had to go buy an MSR pole to replace it.

What pole were you using? My REI pole has bent just from being snugged to tight, didn't give me the most comforting feeling.

 

[gudspelr]

Does anyone have experience with the Ruta Locura carbon tent poles ?

I got one for my DIY pyramid and I like it a lot. The tent is just over 11’ square and a bit over 7’2” at the peak. He suggested the largest diameter pole for how large my tent is. I think the quality of the pole is very good and only have one minor complaint. When I put the pieces together (the sections have male/female ends that slide into one another), there’s nothing to keep them together. When I’d go to put it in my tent, I might lose a piece or two and have to put them back on when standing the pole up. To fix that, I just drilled holes in the end caps of the appropriate diameter and ran some shock cord through the pieces, “connecting” them. I tied knots at the ends and now it holds together great and breaks down just fine. I spent a couple nights on the hill during deer season and one night was pretty miserable with wind and snow and everything appeared to do quite well. In addition, dealing with Ruta Locura was a great experience for me-I recommend him. .

Jeremy

 

[colonel00]

Does anyone have experience with the Ruta Locura carbon tent poles ?

The one that snapped on me was from Ruta Locura. Again though, I cannot blame the pole. There was a ton of weight and I had I think the smallest pole they offer. After it broke, I contacted them and they stood behind their product. I even actually bought another pole from them too. I got a larger diameter pole that I can use in both my Cimarron and my Sawtooth.

 

[colonel00]

What pole were you using? My REI pole has bent just from being snugged to tight, didn't give me the most comforting feeling.

Every pole I've used has bowed on me at some point. They aren't meant to support a tone of weight/pressure. They are lightweight poles meant to support a lightweight shelter.

 

[Ten Bears]

I got one for my DIY pyramid and I like it a lot. The tent is just over 11’ square and a bit over 7’2” at the peak. He suggested the largest diameter pole for how large my tent is. I think the quality of the pole is very good and only have one minor complaint. When I put the pieces together (the sections have male/female ends that slide into one another), there’s nothing to keep them together. When I’d go to put it in my tent, I might lose a piece or two and have to put them back on when standing the pole up. To fix that, I just drilled holes in the end caps of the appropriate diameter and ran some shock cord through the pieces, “connecting” them. I tied knots at the ends and now it holds together great and breaks down just fine. I spent a couple nights on the hill during deer season and one night was pretty miserable with wind and snow and everything appeared to do quite well. In addition, dealing with Ruta Locura was a great experience for me-I recommend him. .

Jeremy

Nice. I like that idea.

 

[Ten Bears]

The one that snapped on me was from Ruta Locura. Again though, I cannot blame the pole. There was a ton of weight and I had I think the smallest pole they offer. After it broke, I contacted them and they stood behind their product. I even actually bought another pole from them too. I got a larger diameter pole that I can use in both my Cimarron and my Sawtooth.

Thanks for the reply.

Great customer service goes a long way with me, going to give them a try.

 

[colonel00]

Thanks for the reply.

Great customer service goes a long way with me, going to give them a try.

Yeah, contact Josh if you have any questions. He was very helpful and found a way to make the custom pole work for both shelters.

Also, gudspelr, sounds like it's too late now but they can bungie the poles together now. I agree, it was a bit annoying by my new set is great.